


Hearth and Home

by Kinoink



Series: Tales from Ishgard and Beyond [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 16:49:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19177417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kinoink/pseuds/Kinoink
Summary: The Warrior of Light has returned to Fortemp Manor after being sent on a mission behest of Ser Aymeric, being gone for many moons she has come to miss that feeling of being in the welcome warmth of friends. Except, one appears to be absent in the party.





	Hearth and Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a one-shot out of many of what I hope to create for Alphinaud/Warrior of Light, Gi'ntana Khilo, into a collection/series of one-shots. The lengths of said shots will vary!
> 
> There are some minor/major spoilers contained in here from old patch 2.5 and 2.55 content titled "Before the Fall" and opening to Heavensward. For those that haven't played or experienced the story, a spoiler warning is in effect. For those that have or don't mind, enjoy!

The land of Coerthas, present location of Ishgard, and home to the Holy See as well as the Orthodox Church. There was always something that the Warrior of Light, a white haired Miqo’te named Gi’ntana Khilo always said; “If there’s no anemic sun or clouds, it’s always snow or a blizzard”. Of course, Coerthas had permanently changed when the Calamity struck as did its citizens, becoming recluses and unfriendly to those outside their walls. However, when the blame for regicide was on her and the Scions in Ul’dah, and her friends had stayed behind to give her time to flee, to become the hope of the next dawn, it was fortuitous that their alliance with House Fortemp was positive. Now, herself, and the last few dregs that remained of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn were given shelter under the Fortemp name. A blizzard was starting to brew in the air as once lightly falling snow began to be picked up from the galing winds as if Garuda herself were fanning them herself.  
The guard outside the Fortemp manor bowed as the Warrior of Light stepped her way up the stairs, carrying a traveling pack over her shoulder as the door opened creating honey gold light in the evening dark, while it was hard to discern any features under the hood that had small snow piles dusted on the top of it the guards had seen her outfit of choice more than once on occasion. The iron at the end of her boots clicked against the marble in a steady beat, the warmth becoming a welcoming hug as the door was shut behind her with an audible click throughout the receiving room.

Only then did the audible groan escape past her lips and she collapsed onto the marble floor while snow remnants began to melt away from the fire warmth and legs felt like jelly when the exhaustion made itself manifest. Oh, how Ser Aymeric was going to owe her a debt after this. So Gi’ntana thought as she shrugged off the travel bag and looked inside, a faint gleam coming from it shining with amber and crimson and the cloth it had been wrapped in stained with a soaked in red stain. Shutting it with a flourish she thought back to Rowena over at Revenant’s Toll and the words she had been parted with a long time ago, she really and truly needed to say the word “NO” at some point. As she made to remove her hood there was the sound of rushing footsteps - tiny, rushing, footsteps.  
From down the hall a brown haired Lalafell with soft garnet eyes, shaded by a soft application of eyeshadow, came down from the adjoining hallway, and her glossy eyes seemed to sparkle even more. “Mistress, you’ve returned!” she called before running over and the Miqo’te was ready to receive her retainer with relief, having been a way for an extended period of time on the lands of Coerthas on her own with business to attend to. Soon enough she had gathered the sweet Lalafell into her arms and gave her a tight hug as the hood fell back, her white hair with a few touches of lapis lazuli blue settled on the tips, fanned out against her neck undone from the ponytail thanks to the wind. The mismatched ruby and sapphire eyes looked down at her retainer with a soft look, Cocomi was nothing if not a faithful one.  
Even as herself, Alphinaud, and Tataru had come to Dragonhead, fleeing from the accusations the populace had suddenly seen in them. Alphinaud had been at best incoherent as he would speak of constantly blaming himself for the happenings within the Crystal Braves and Tataru would try to console him, Gi’ntana herself would try her best to keep the bravest face she could muster despite how much a swirling darkness gnawed at her from within. It reminded the Warrior of Light of the time she had almost slipped into madness, unable to control the newly tapped abilities of a Black Mage. Days had passed with no consequence, Haurchefant was keeping tabs with his guards about any passing...until one slate grey clouded day when someone had told her that someone had been seeking an audience from her. Low and behold, bundled up in a thin coat, only half dressed for this weather, was Cocomi, her Lalafell retainer who she met within Ul’dah looking to her mistress with shining eyes filled with tears. The mere sight had given Gi’ntana pause, the sight of the Sultana’s eyes looking her in that same way still a fresh scar on her mind. Cocomi had journeyed by Chocobo in order to get here, a journey that had been daunting and Tataru had instantly agreed to take her in after introductions and something warm was given. It was a relief to see a familiar face- and once they had all agreed to go to Ishgard, Alphinaud finally coming out of his slump, together.

“I’m glad to be back.” Gi’ntana finally breathed as she pulled back from the hug, wincing a bit as the throbbing in her feet reverberated throughout her being. “It’s...been a long journey both forward and back, many malms.” She breathed through the pain, after all what was she a warrior of if she whined at a little bit of foot pain (though really the heels weren’t the most comfortable wear)? All she felt like doing right now was getting a good meal, warmed up, and then give the recount of her mission to Tataru and Alphinaud.  
“I’ll go help run you a bath Mistress Gi’ntana!” Cocomi presented, knowing just how hard she probably worked, “Then food, then you must tell me about it, as long as it isn’t a secret of course.” Ah, there was her gods sent in a tiny package, her retainer read her mind and it gave her the energy to finally stand up from the floor, Cocomi would pick up the travel bag and they would start to the bath inside the manor. It felt so good to be home.

During the bath, Gi’ntana sighed in relief as she scrubbed away the dirt with soaps and soaked like tea leaves in a fragrant oil, and her ear flicked a little bit when she heard the other voices from the other side of the door and the Miqo’te smiled a little to herself. It sounded like Tataru was back from her trip to the tavern, and a good time too since she could also hear the blizzard making a racket outside. However, there seemed to be one voice that was absent, as most if not all the current residence were here for the evening. It made her wonder in the back of her mind as she reached over for the cloth to dry herself off when she had climbed up and bare toes curled onto the cool marble.  
Alphinaud’s voice was absent.  
It wasn’t unusual for the young Elezen though, ever since they had come here, it was as if he had been carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. If he wasn’t off to be a diplomat in one location he was looking through invoices, or paperwork from past Dravanian incidents, as if he was trying to gather a clue about how else he could further his aid to the city of Ishgard. Perhaps this evening would end up being the latter, the young Miqo’te figured, reaching over to a pile of freshly folded clothes that a servant of the house had brought in on Cocomi’s recommendation while Tataru had been absent. As the fabric had unfolded, she smiled a little bit, it was black with silver and blue needlework, spreading out like filigree after climbing up like a tree trunk from naval to bosom. It was in the same scheme of colors as her battle wear that she had been wearing since it had been provided from the Ironworks, and Tataru knew it (mayhap it was the amount of stitches Gi’ntana had made after battles). The breeches though were just a simple pair of dark grey that would reach down to her ankles, rather loose fitting as if they were for bed, which was fair of an assessment, but it seemed to be a heavenly match of clothing for settling down for the evening.  
At dinner, the Warrior of Light regaled not just Cocomi and Tataru, but the Count, his two sons, and a few servants of the manor with what had happened on her journey to find the jewel that Aymeric had described as a Dragon’s Eye, an old relic of the dragons before the Calamity had struck, said to be lost under the drifts of snow. While of old, it perhaps would have been guarded by the great leviathans, in its lost state, it was protected by the beasts of the drifts. A sleeping yeti that one misstep had woken the beast and a fight had ensued, but it was what the power of the Dragon’s Eye that lingered within that truly slew the beast even in her hand. Gi’ntana would rub her hand a little bit, that feeling of fire much stronger than her own spell casting. While the journey home wasn’t as eventful, everyone was at least interested, praising her for her hard work.  
_If only they knew what lingered inside before…_

Once fully warmed up with food and drink, Gi’ntana was still thrown off by the absence of Alphinaud. Walking down the halls of the manor with Tataru (Cocomi had lingered behind to help the servants in the kitchen), and the Lalafell was holding a plate in her hand laden with samples of the night’s food; roasted dodo, jade peas, mashed popotoes, and freshly baked rolls with a little bit of butter. However, she knew better, for Tataru had eaten at the table with everyone else, only requesting a plate from one of the servants before the end of the evening. “Tataru, pray forgive me for asking, but what has Alphinaud been up to?” she asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her now that they weren’t surrounded by noblemen. Tataru blinked, her eyes looking up at the mage at her side, a usually long stride down to be of equal to her own steps.  
“The past moons, Alphinaud has been shutting himself away inside the library. It all started a few days after you had set out on behest of Ser Aymeric.” Tataru began to explain as they were indeed making the way to the library that Gi’ntana had recalled on the small tour one of the servants had given them. “Though, he usually would take his choices in reading material up to his room, he’s been shutting himself in the library instead. Bit queer if you ask me, but upon his request we have been bringing him a meal if he had not shown, most of it dinner, but the plate always arrives into the kitchen and cleaned when we must all be asleep.” The secretary frowned a little bit, her look becoming thoughtful, “I pray though that he doesn’t think for a moment that the entirety of Eorzea rests on his shoulders, or that our still missing friends weighs too heavily. I promised I would keep a word out after all.” The thoughtful look turned into a moment of sadness and absently, Gi’ntana reached up to place a hand over her heart as flashbacks entered her mind, from the royal promenade where Papalymo and Yda had last been seen, to under the sewers where Y’shtola and Thancred, Minfillia soon after, stayed behind...leaving her at a feeling of loneliness.  
“...Mayhap we still haven’t healed.” Tataru’s voice spoke out of the aetherial space that was the thoughts, “At least not completely, but I do hope that one day soon, we will be better from it.”  
Tataru really did know what to say, making the Warrior of Light smile a little then look up as they reached the library’s door. Since the secretary’s hands were full, the Miqo’te reached over to open the door and look inside. To say that the library was cozy would have been considered quite understated, the walls were stacked from floor to ceiling on deep mahogany shelves, a fireplace built into the stone wall alight and feeding warmth and light through the room, and the carpet on the floor settled in the center of the room. A desk was there as well, piled high with tomes and parchment, a small lantern unlit in case the fireplace were to recede to embers, there was silence with the exception of the fire crackling and wind rattling against the windows as the blizzard raged on. While it was hard to see over the stack of tomes, the white boots sticking out from the bottom of the table were hard to not recognize.  
“Tataru, I’ll take his meal to him tonight, you should go spend some time for yourself.” Gi’ntana offered, kneeling down a little in order to take the plate from her.  
“B-But you just got back from a long journey!” Tataru argued, voice in a soft whisper to not disturb the current occupant of the room. “Surely you deserve the most time for yourself to recover before your audience with Ser Aymeric on the morrow!”  
“I’m just gonna set the food on the desk, besides I want to say good evening to him before I retire. Promise.” she told Tataru, who puffed her cheeks out in a little bit of a pout. However, she would relinquish with a sweet smile, a polite bow and started back the way she came to start for the room she stayed in.

Gi’ntana looked into the room for a moment, holding the plate in her hands, ears perked slightly. It was quiet, and eerily quiet. If Alphinaud was writing vigorously, she would be hearing the sound of a quill scratch, parchment being shuffled, but she heard nothing. Her heart began to drum a heavy song against her ribs as she slowly took a step inside, blood starting to rush through her veins, and her breath for a moment felt short. The ruby and sapphire eyes caught sight of a mug sitting at the edge of some papers, making her heart pound harder as she started to feel panic rise. Cautiously still she would round the desk, the back of her mind in terror that they had been betrayed from the inside again, that Fortemp was naught but a mask, but there Alphinaud was at the desk, slumped over it with his arms cushioning him like a pillow. From his back she could tell he was breathing calmly and quietly. He surely wouldn’t be in a position of comfort if he had been poisoned, nor would he be breathing.  
Perhaps she jumped to conclusions too quickly, then her eyes saw the plate of a barely touched meal of sandwiches, then glanced to the sleeping scholar. It looks like he hadn’t just been missing during dinner on this day. “Honestly, skipping meals is bad for you.” She murmured reaching over to switch the plates out for the more fresh dinner. Hopefully when he stirred he would eat. Collecting the mug she set it snugly at the edge of the plate of dry sandwiches, she was about to leave until she saw just what Alphinaud had been pouring over so vigorously the last few moons. While she never understood how his magic worked, deciding to benefit from more destructive magicks to care for herself, she did know that Alphinaud still at times felt like a novice compared to Y’shtola’s white magic. Setting the dishes down on an empty end table by the door she returned to the desk, reaching over to pick up one of the books sitting herself down on the edge of the bench, flipping through the pages absently. It seemed to be filled with recounts of past healers, their more potent spells that his levels of aether perhaps couldn’t handle yet, and what they would be used for. Then she glanced over at the parchments that littered under him, slashes of magic circles, spells that he had yet to test, his own book sitting wide open in front of him.  
Ever since she first met him, Gi’ntana always believed he was just what he was, a scholar and someone who was rather uptight. Until one day she had been recovering from the battle against the Garlean empire, she had woken up to find him, hand hovering over wound and book open in his other, revealing the magic he could use. Of course, she had been reprimanded that evening too. Her view truly changed even as he was trying his best to become a commander of a company in order to make for a more peaceful Eorzea...even if the latter ended up backfiring worse than a magitek engine. But now...now they were so much more exposed to each other, even after being close yet far because of their work as the Scions.

Her eyes softened a little as she looked at him, snoring softly, a peaceful state of sleep if not for the occasional twitch of his fingers and brow, quiet murmurs run past his lips. Oh, how far they had come from not seeing eye to eye, to this point. Reaching over a little her fingers would gently brush away some of the silver colored hair that fell down in front of his fair features, remembering the cold stares that he had given her, coming into the scions, a change starting to become visible, to where his mask had finally crumbled away and showed he was just as mortal as everyone else.  
Shifting her weight and making sure her tail would drape into a more comfortable position, she stared up at the high ceiling as shadows danced and played in the flickering light of the fire, stradling the bench with her thighs like she would riding a Chocobo. The silence with the exception of the Elezen’s soft breathing, fire crackling, and the storm outside, she found comfort and welcoming in the white noise. Without thinking she would lean her head back to rest against Alphinaud’s shoulder, the contrast of white and black made all the more clear as her hair settled against the fabric. Her eyes once more glanced to him and she smiled a little bit to herself, glancing back to the ceiling, breathing in deeply to let it out nice and slow before from past her lips she began to sing a quiet melancholy tune, staring back up at the shadows on the ceiling imagining them shifting and dancing to the song, like silhouettes reenacting the story behind it. It was a song of tragedy, loss, and perhaps a ray of hope for a brighter tomorrow. It still hit too close to the heart, even now.

However, as everything would fade back to the noise of the fire and window rattling, Gi’ntana looked over a bit and almost jumped out of her skin when she noticed the piercing blue eyes gaze from the depths of the silver hair. At first, nothing was spoken between them, then the Warrior of Light would speak first, keeping her voice in a soft tone, “Would you like me to go, so you can resume your slumber?” she asked, noticing the tired shadows under his eyes now clearly more visible since he was awakened. Placing her hand on the table, she made to get up when he didn’t answer, but was stopped as she felt his pinkie finger wrap around her own for a moment since it was the closest to him and his energy still lacked to grasp her hand. He remained silent for a bit more then she sighed, “You know you should have eaten it’s why you’re so tired.” she told him with a voice that only held a slight bit of scolding.  
“...” He was silent as he turned to look up at her a bit better, “...Stay...just a bit...longer…” he requested and Gi’ntana at first felt the urge to deny him that request, the urge to say no, to take time to herself. However, this was one she didn’t have the heart to deny when she saw those blue eyes sear into her soul.  
“A few minutes more, then you have to at least eat something. Promise?” Gi’ntana answered his request with one of her own as she replaced herself back down by the Elezen’s side.  
“Mm…” was the most noncommittal noise that arose from his throat in return, turning his head back to the other side. “Once more…?”  
Her ear twitched and she closed her eyes with a small smile gracing her lips, knowing what he wanted even if he was barely awake at the moment. Leaning herself comfortably against his slightly smaller person she glanced up before she would start to sing that soft melancholy melody again as Alphinaud began to sink back into his dreams. Their pinkie fingers were still holding taught, both finding comfort when naught a word had to be spoken even as the scholar’s grip would get a bit tighter she would simply return it in kind.  
As the fire crackled nearby, song still clear in the air, and with the closeness of her fellow Scion, Gi’ntana felt that darkness leave, making her feel whole once more.

_She was home._

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment and Kudos, they inspire me to write.  
> Also, if you comment, please try to avoid any possible future spoilers deeper into Heavensward and Stormblood as I have not gotten that far as of yet!


End file.
